Letter to the Editor: Reintegration services shouldn’t be cut

Published 2:45 pm, Sunday, April 3, 2016

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Letter to the Editor: Reintegration services shouldn’t be cut

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Why were my friends frightened when I took a new job? It was because I would be working with men who had been incarcerated. This group home was initiated by an ex-offender who had been in and out of prisons for many years. What was it that made this ex-convict not only turn himself around, but do the same for many who had embarked on a similar path?

Over a period of five years, almost 60 percent of released inmates return to a life of criminal activity, re-incarceration, release and, again, criminal activity as this cycle continues unabated. The cost of incarceration annually per prisoner is between $50,000 and $60,000 in Connecticut. This is more than many of us earn.

Right now, we are facing a fiscal crisis in Connecticut because of our large debt. The governor is proposing $51 million in cuts to nonprofits that perform reintegration services to the state. These are services which have been proven to reduce recidivism. When we slash the budget by denying these services, we condemn those in need to a life in and out of prison. And, each time they are released, we condemn ourselves to a more dangerous environment.

Ideally, these services should be increased. At the very least, we must keep the ones we have intact. It is important to keep in mind that recidivism has an effect not only on the offender, but also on his/her family, the community at large and on our wallets.

For under $5,000 per year we can employ a multitude of reintegration programs, reduce recidivism and keep us all safer.